BACKGROUNDTo investigate the effectiveness and the surgical experience of bronchoplasty and pulmonary artery reconstruction in the treatment of central type lung cancer.

METHODSFrom January, 1996 to May, 2000, 78 patients with central type lung cancer underwent bronchoplasty and pulmoanry artery reconstruction in the treatment of central type lung cancer. According to P-TNM classification, 5 patients were in stage IIB, 69 in stage IIIA and 4 in stage IIIB. The surgical procedures included bronchoplasty and pulmonary artery reconstruction in the left lung in 53 cases, bronchoplasty and pulmonary artery reconstruction in the right lung in 25 cases. A combination of comprehensive therapy including radiotherapy and chemotherapy was carried out postoperatively. The postoperative follow-up ranged from 24 months to 78 months.

RESULTSThere was one postoperative death resulting from respiratory infection and failure (1.3%, 1/78). The postoperative complication included pulmonary infection (6.4%) and atelectasis (7.7%). The overall 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates were 81.5%, 47.6% and 33.2% respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that bronchoplasty and pulmonary artery reconstruction for the patients with central type lung cancer is a safe and effective surgical technique, as alternative to pneumonectomy. This method ensures more radical resection of central type lung cancer, and extends the surgery indications to patients with poor lung function and senility by reducing the ratio of pneumonectomy and improving postoperative quality of life. Therefore, it is clinically valuable.